It turns out we don't get a vote on whether we become leaders or not. There will always be people in our world taking their cues from how we are showing up. The invitation is to be more intentional about the kind of leader we want to become, do a gap analysis with regard to the current reality, and work on closing that gap. The dictionary defines a manifesto as a public statement of motives, views, or intentions. Sounds like a perfect vehicle then for laying out what kind of leader we would like to be. The journey to creating a great leadership experience begins from within. There is so much to learn from what your team is reflecting back to you in your current leadership reality. It doesn't start with adding more but by taking away all the impediments for the leader to emerge. Below is a Leadership Manifesto I believe would create a conducive place for people to do their best work. What is your Leadership Manifesto? ------------------------ That Leader By Frank Bolaji Irawo Leading from the front With heart and head engaged Leading a mission bigger than anyone's ego Caring enough not to leave the team behind Where everyone feels a part of the "us" Not intimidated by the many gifts they bring Seeking out every chance to let them shine Knowing that others can lead in what they are best at Cheerleading from the front of the room Celebrating the whole person showing up at home and at work Not afraid to let them see, leaders are human too Catching them doing what is right Leaving a legacy that outlasts your tenure Creating the next pair of safe hands Not forgetting to enjoy the journey That Leader is You!! ------------------------ I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders… I am looking to work with senior leaders (Heads of department, C-Suite executives, or business owners) I have been fortunate to work with some wonderful leaders who supported me and allowed me to bring my full self to work in service of the businesses I worked in. I will never forget how they made me feel. This support made it possible for me to step into my true mission of supporting leaders to create a culture where they and their teams could bring their whole selves to work. I believe that this leader is already in you, our work together would be to identify and remove any mental blockers, unleash dormant creative energy, and rejuvenate your business relationships to ignite productivity and fearless innovation. The foundation of this work is self-awareness and taking action in alignment with your uniqueness. If you are ready to take the next step to becoming that leader then DM me let's take it from there. There is no catch or sales pitch here. My commitment to you is to create a space where you can experience such a transformation that word would get around. I'm really excited to see how many leaders we can impact together.

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In my last post I laid out a manifesto for the kind of leadership I believe would serve us better in this current climate. See the link to the post in the comments section below. There is so much wonderful leadership development training and coaching out there that are aimed at making leaders more effective. It can become overwhelming trying to gain all these competencies we are told we need to become good leaders. Ironically if you don't approach leadership development interventions centered on your own uniqueness, you could end up trying to put on the persona of a leader in someone else's image. This could have the opposite of the desired effect as the energy of whom you are trying to be will be disconnected from your true essence. I would like to propose a different way of looking at leadership based on the Rumi quote below. “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~ Rumi You may ask what has love got to do with leadership? If we love what we are doing and the people we are doing it with and get out of our own way, we can achieve more while avoiding negative well-being side effects. If you reflect on all the aspects of your life where this statement is true for you, how much effort and toil is required for you to show up as an enabling leader there? If the potential to be a great leader is already in you, then you just need to discover all that is getting in the way of it manifesting and connect to that leader to flow out. Sustainable, joyful energy to lead wholeheartedly comes from a place of aligned leadership that honours who you are as a leader and the people you lead to deliver on your joint mission. This is an inside-out approach. That is not to say tools can't support that journey but it all starts first within. In this series, I would like to introduce a simple framework for moving in the direction of becoming that Leader who creates an environment that allows their people to bring their whole-self and do their best work. It is based on a number of key insights which will enable the inner transformation that will allow the leader in you to show up and make a wholesome difference. My hope is that it serves you. [L] - Learn about yourself through others

[E] - Embrace the power of listening to build trust

[A] - Authentically communicate

[D] - Develop the leader in others

------------------ Insight By Frank Bolaji Irawo Insight is the key To the transformation of me Cause all of that can be Lives inside of me If I can only see What is stopping me ------------------------ I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders… I am looking to work with senior leaders (Heads of department, C-Suite executives, or business owners) There is no catch or sales pitch here. Click below to book a chat and find out more

In my last post, I intimated that the kind of leader we want to be flows from within and the task before us was to become aware of what was getting in the way of it. In this series, we are exploring the LEAD framework of insights that can enable the inner transformation moving in the direction of becoming that Leader who creates an environment that allows their people to bring their whole-self and do their best work. [L] - Learn about yourself through others

E - Embrace the power of listening to build trust

A - Authentically communicate

D - Develop the leader in others This journey starts with learning about yourself as a leader through those you are in a relationship with. What is your current leadership perception compared to your leadership reality?  There is a good chance these two will not be exactly the same because what we see is our brain's interpretation of what it receives as input through our senses. Those interpretations are coloured by our worldview, experiences and what we consider acceptable, desirable etc.  As this quote attributed to Anais Nin says “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are...” Your team can act as a mirror from which to see your leadership reflection. Observe who or what triggers the best in you or otherwise. Obtain feedback on how the people you lead are experiencing you. What is their view on your strengths and weaknesses? Seek to understand what is working and what is not with regard to creating an environment where they feel psychologically safe.  Then begins the inner work to affirm what is effective and aligned and explore any unhelpful patterns that no longer serve you.  In the next part, we will look at how listening can be a powerful tool for building trust. ------------------ The mirror By Frank Bolaji irawo Ever argue with a mirror before? Confused about what it is there for? Somehow it seems to win that war It just continued to show me more Of all my minds intricate folklore Animating my role as judge and juror Refusing to accept the gift of candour To embrace with love what can't be ignored The good, the bad, all sides to my core Seeing the unseen, what it's here for To reveal all parts of my beauty and splendour Living in the conviction of originality Just what the world has been waiting for The unveiling of a gift to all Daring to look full-faced in the mirror Seeing and being seen, creating full rapport ------------------ I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders… I am looking to work with senior leaders (Heads of department, C-Suite executives, or business owners) There is no catch or sales pitch here. My commitment to you is to create a space where you can experience such a transformation that word would get around. I'm really excited to see how many leaders we can impact together. Click the link below to book a chat and find out more

In Part 2 we explored the value of using your team as a mirror to see how you are showing up to help you affirm what is working well and highlight any gaps that need attention. In this part we look at the second phase of the LEAD insight journey; embracing the power of listening to build trust and grow as a leader. L  [E] - Embrace the power of listening to build trust   A   D We previously established that “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are..." so to expand our horizon and learn more about our teams, we will benefit from listening to them deeply.  This can be hard to do if their perspective is different from yours or if they are giving feedback that you do not agree with. The invitation here is to suspend judgment, not take it personally and listen out for clues to their worldview, expectations, and standards. These are all great information to help us know how to better communicate and motivate them while also being open to getting wider perspectives that could lead to serving more people effectively. Differences are equidistant so no one point of difference is superior to the other, it is a distance to be covered by both parties. You expand your horizon by trying to see it from the other side. you don't have to agree just be open to the reality that others have perspectives that you don't that are just as valid. As Stephen Covey said, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Listening attentively and asking questions to confirm your understanding is a gift from you that opens them up to your perspective. They are also more likely to trust you with their emerging ideas in the future thereby creating chances for innovation and creative problem-solving.  This kind of listening is self-expanding. In the next part, we will look at how being human at work opens the door for your team to bring their whole self to work. --------------- Same Difference By Frank Bolaji Irawo I am different, so are you  Not one of us exactly the same Even if birth by the very same womb Hewn out of the self-same egg Our fingerprints as unique as can be You are as far from me as I am to you' How much that matters  Very much depends on you and me For all our differences This one thing is true We share the planet So, our survival depends on you and me In our differences lie the opportunity To embrace and learn from something new If I chose to walk in your boots and you in mine We benefit from our different views A wider horizon from which to see The things we both share  One planet, one humanity --------------- I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders… I am looking to work with senior leaders (Heads of department, C-Suite executives, or business owners) There is no catch or sales pitch here. I'm really excited to see how many leaders we can impact together. Click the link below to book a chat

Part 3 looked at the value of being open to listening to different perspectives to build trust, increase innovation, improve service, and grow as a leader. In this part we look at the third phase of the LEAD insight journey; authentically communicating from a place of vulnerability.  L   E [A] - Authentically communicate  D Jim Butcher said “Rule number one...Never let them see you sweat. People expect us to know things...Don’t screw it up by looking like you’re as confused as everyone else. Bad for the image.” This sounds like great advice for image projection, but not for building trust and deeper connections in a team. The human experience is fluid and imperfect by design. Empathy for others starts with embracing your own limitations. The wall with which you hide your humanity, will also keep others out. Fronting takes up much energy and as Bob Marley famously sang "You can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time"  Being honest when you are not at the top of your game and being willing to admit to not having all the answers, gives your team members permission to do likewise. As the leader, you get to rally the team around to support each other in getting to the desired outcome and providing support where required. While you do not want to burden the team with every sordid detail of every issue you face, especially ones they can't do anything about. You can however make it known that you require their patience and understanding while you work things out.  Your willingness to be honest and vulnerable will normalise this for the team and build higher levels of trust and psychological safety. They will feel comfortable bringing their whole self to work. Connections strengthen as people support each other through challenging times and celebrate achievements.  In the next part, we discuss how to leverage the leadership potential of all of your team. ------------------ The Wall By Frank Bolaji Irawo I have this wall It's ten feet tall It works for all My great big wall I built it all One brick for each call To hide all those faults To avoid a fall All my true feelings It blocks them all Now none can see None can recall ------------------ I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders… I am looking to work with senior leaders (Heads of department, C-Suite executives, or business owners) There is no catch or sales pitch here. I'm really excited to see how many leaders we can impact together. Click below to book a chat

In Part 4 we explored the value of being vulnerable and allowing your humanity to be experienced by your team; which will result in them bringing their whole self to work and doing their best work.

In this part we look at the fourth phase of the LEAD insight journey; developing the leader in others.

L

E

A

[D] - Develop the leader in others

In the command and control model of leadership, the leader is expected to have all the answers and be the smartest one in the room. This is obviously great for the ego but falls short of leveraging the power of a team that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Commander David Marquet in his book "Turn the ship around" says "The goal of a leader is to give no orders...Those who take orders usually run at half speed, underutilizing their imagination and initiative...a human being’s genius, passion, loyalty, and tenacious creativity are volunteered only."

To get the best out of your team, it is important to demonstrate trust in their potential by giving them the opportunity to put themselves to use in finding their own answers.

Moving from telling to coaching them to an outcome is a great step in this direction. This requires resisting the temptation to lead the "how" and just being very clear on the objective and the reasoning behind it and offering support as required.

Using carefully placed open questions you can support your team in igniting their own creativity to come up with options and then as a team decide the best one to try first, learn, and then go again.

This makes leaders out of followers as they begin to trust in their own abilities and give others permission to do likewise. You are now benefitting from the collective genius of the whole team rather than just yours.

In the next part, we wrap up the series by showing how this all ties together to create great leadership.

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Vacuum

By Frank Bolaji Irawo

If only conversations were held in vacuums

Beware the effects of the oft-repeated phrase

Already discounted from what really matters

No longer holding the desired power

Its edge filed off over time

No longer able to penetrate

The barrier so assembled to give protection

From the message received but rarely spoken

"If only you were better, I wouldn't have to repeat this"

Here an idea worth considering

Let asking be the new saying

To discover the thoughts that drive the doings

Asking questions that initiate the doer

To come up with ways of achieving better outcomes

Now they are doing under their own inspiration

The very things you desire as outcomes

Under the power of their own steam

Inspired by their own thinking

Seeds planted by your own asking

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I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders…

I am looking to work with senior leaders

There is no catch or sales pitch here.

Click the link below to book a chat

In today's globalised economy with changes occurring at such a fast pace; senior leaders come under intense pressure to deliver results. This pressure can trigger survival mode leadership; issuing orders, micro-managing everything and everyone, and creating delivery bottlenecks. This environment is not conducive to the collaboration and innovation that is needed to solve complex problems and deliver the required results. If you are constantly firefighting; investing so much energy and not seeing the desired outcomes. You begin to question if you are cut out to be a leader. This series invited you to recognise that your unique leadership expression is present and waiting to flow from within if you find all the internal barriers getting in the way of it being experienced. The following lay the foundation for that journey. [L] - Learn - Get in touch with the reality of your leadership impact by looking to the team as your mirror

[E] - Embrace - Learn to listen to and respect different perspectives and learn from them even if you are not in total agreement

[A] - Authenticity - Communicate your humanity with authenticity and model vulnerability to your team

[D] - Development - Develop the leader in others by helping them reach their own answers    The ultimate test of our leadership is based on delivering results and our track record in developing other leaders within our organisation. If Commander David Marquet is right in saying that "People who are treated as followers treat others as followers when it’s their turn to lead", the converse would suggest that treating members of our teams as leaders in their own right will create a culture of leaders showing up in their own zone of genius. People often rise to the expectation we have of them. When we see the leadership potential of those we work with, we are inclined to entrust them with opportunities to display it. Innovation and creative problem-solving become the order of the day in response to present demands. You begin to love what you are doing and the people you are doing it with and create the kind of environment where your team brings their whole self and do their best work. From this place of alignment, you experience sustainable joyful energy to lead wholeheartedly. I want that for you. Let me help you get there. --------- Leaders I C U By Frank Bolaji Irawo You may think that it's not true But I really do C U When I look in the mirror It's U who looks back at me The leader in me When you look in the mirror Who do you C? Who stepped up to care For more than just me? On whose shoulder do we rise Who stepped into the space Between U and me That is the leader I C And celebrate in U

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I'm on a mission to support 50 senior leaders…

I am looking to work with senior leaders (Heads of department, C-Suite executives, or business owners)

There is no catch or sales pitch here.

My commitment to you is to create a space where you can experience such a transformation that word would get around.

I'm really excited to see how many leaders we can impact together.

Click the link below to book a chat and find out more